Church at sunset, Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2007 photo

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty: Using silhouettes as abstract symbols and metaphors > Church at sunset, Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2007

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06-NOV-2007

Church at sunset, Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2007

Fronting Albuquerque's historic Old Town Plaza is San Felipe de Neri Church, built in 1793. Shooting with the help of a setting sun illuminating the façade of the church, I waited until a man entered the fenced area at right. Using my spot meter, I exposed for the brightest part of the image, which turned all of the shadowed areas black, including the shape of the man. When the man was framed within the triangular portion of the composition, I made the picture. As a silhouette, the man is no longer a particular individual, but becomes instead a symbol of all who have come to this church over the centuries.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/320s f/5.6 at 62.2mm iso100 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	06-Nov-2007 17:17:17
Make	Leica
Model	V-LUX 1
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	62.2 mm
Exposure Time	1/320 sec
Aperture	f/5.6
ISO Equivalent	100
Exposure Bias	-0.33
White Balance
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program	program (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

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Phil Douglis		23-Dec-2009 18:12
Glad this image is useful to you, Xin -- you make an important point in your response to it. Photographic expression goes well beyond aesthetic considerations. For an image to speak to us, it must do more than appeal to the senses -- it must also say something in human terms. That's what I've tried to do here.

Sheena Xin Liu		22-Dec-2009 19:47
I tried to picture this frame without the figure in the image, and I think this picture would still look visually appealing; however, with the silhouette of a mankind, the image is beyond a simple interplay of lights and geometry, but it is suddenly enriched with another dimension of life, which is well said in your words "a symbol of all who have come to this church over the centuries". I learned a lot from your introduction about how you captured this image. Thank you for your generous sharing with us.

Phil Douglis		19-Apr-2008 03:44
Thanks, Iris, for reading so much into this image. I intended it as a catalyst for thought, and if it stirred such thoughts as these in you, it did just what I had hoped it would do.

Iris Maybloom (irislm)		15-Apr-2008 19:46
The interplay of light and shadow emphasizes the beautiful architectural lines of this church. For me, this man may be leaving the church itself, but caught within the triangle, a religious symbol for many, tells me that he is taking his faith with him. However, the church doors remain open should he want to return. While the silhouette depersonalizes the man, it very much personalizes man's search for meaning.

Phil Douglis		28-Nov-2007 00:41
Thanks, Kal -- I think he could well be insecure in the face of awe. You make me take another long look at this image and see the imponderable in it.

Kal Khogali		27-Nov-2007 22:04
The golden hues here also play a part in creating the warmth in the image. I feel som insecurity in his pose, maybe even the sense of awe in the scale of what he faces. Great. K

Phil Douglis		22-Nov-2007 19:59
Thanks, Tim, for linking the interplay of light and shadow with the nature of spiritual faith itself. I see this image as metaphor about man's search for a belief system, in this case spiritual faith. And yes, the darkness of his shape as silhouette expresses a sense of darkness within this man as he comes to a place that is known as a gathering place of the faithful.

Tim May		22-Nov-2007 19:01
Light and Shadow - that to me is so metaphoric of what spiritual faith is about. This image captures that. I like that you see it as a man taking his faith with him. I tend to the sense that he is entering a dark time during which the "light" will stay with him.

Phil Douglis		21-Nov-2007 18:04
You said it all here, Carole. Thank you for sharing my passion for ideas -- for me a photograph is not a record or description, but an expression of an idea. And that is what I was waiting for here.

Carole Scurlock		21-Nov-2007 04:23
This is a great capture with your composition and timing. Shows us the value of believing in our ideas and waiting for the right moment.

Phil Douglis		21-Nov-2007 02:36
Thanks, Alister, for leaving this wonderfully incisive commentary. You read my mind well here. As for the metaphor created by the direction in which the man is looking, I'll have to leave that to the imaginations of those who view this image. Patricia sees him as representing "all humanity in its search for the Divine." You wonder if he is perhaps turning his back on his faith...or maybe he has yet to make his decision? As I shot him, I saw him simply as a symbol of all who have come to this church over the centuries. I leave his motives to others.

alibenn		21-Nov-2007 01:32
A lovely starter to this particular new gallery. Where to start? Without the person, this would still be a very fine study of the building, with striking lines: the arch coming in from the left, the "floaty" leading line coming in bottom right, the shadow of the lantern, the great light and the touches of antiquity on the stonework. And this is where the Phil-factor comes in: you recognized this as an opportunity, and then thought on auto-pilot: "what this image needs is a human anchor to magnify its expressiveness" So, I can picture you waiting for the right figure to arrive, someone suitable subdued, not too animated; still, respectful... Now, a couple of comments on metaphors... Had the chap been looking into the frame, that would support the comment you made about mankind searching for spiritual inspiration.. BUT.. he's looking out of the frame, away from the church and into the shadows? With his hands in his pockets, is he turning his back on faith and preparing for a walk down the dark road on his own!!? Or have you caught him in the moments prior to his epiphany? Suitably ambiguous, wonderfully expressive... 55 years of learning personified in a few million pixels..

Phil Douglis		20-Nov-2007 04:18
Thanks, Patricia, for seeing the symbolism in this silhouette so vividly. A silhouette, by its very nature, is Everyman. And mankind has always been searching for spiritual inspiration.

Patricia Lay-Dorsey		20-Nov-2007 03:59
What a stunning example of the theme of this gallery! By waiting for the moment when the man passed into the exact spot you had chosen, and then using your spot meter to set up the exposure you wanted, you have created an iconic image. It is not just this man or this church but it represents all humanity in its search for the Divine. At least that's what it evokes in me.

Phil Douglis		18-Nov-2007 20:32
Thank you, Cyndy, for sharing your thoughts on this image with us. Whatever gifts I might possess were gained through trial and error -- I have been astride a learning curve now for 55 years and counting. I hope these examples will help you learn from my own discoveries along the way. And you are right about the layers here -- the man is very important, because we identify with him and can, in a way, visit this church with him.

Guest		18-Nov-2007 20:17
I love the warmth in this, the texture and shadows. And the presence of the man adds yet another layer. You have a wonderful gift for communicating your thoughts through the visual, Phil. Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge and ideas.

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